Functional fluids are employed in a variety of automotive, off-highway vehicles, on-highway vehicles, equipment, machines, metal working and industrial applications. It is important to know the identity of such functional fluids to prevent the improper utilization or unauthorized counterfeiting of the functional fluid. A proper functional fluid helps to insure the good condition of the device and/or equipment containing the functional fluid and may also impact warranty agreements. It is, therefore, desirable to be able to determine the identity of such functional fluids.
Methods exist for the analysis and identification of functional fluids using various reagents in determining the presence and/or concentration of various constituents of the functional fluids. Specific reagents may be employed for determining the presence and concentration of components in functional fluids. These methods generally analyze for pH, coloring agents, and contaminants using reactive reagents on test strips. These methods also generally require controlled conditions for the reactive reagents to function properly. Further, these methods may be subjective and inaccurate.
Markers have been used to identify fluids. Proton accepting chemical substances, that at a solution concentration of below about 50 milligrams per liter, impart little or no significant color to organic solvents, have been proposed as markers, or taggants, especially for petroleum-derived fuels. The marker is dissolved in a liquid to be identified, and then subsequently detected by performing a chemical test on the marked liquid. Markers are sometimes employed by government agencies to ensure that the appropriate tax has been paid on particular grades of fuel. Oil companies also mark their products to help assist in identifying diluted or altered products. These companies often go to great expense to make sure their branded petroleum products meet certain specifications, for example, volatility and octane number, as well as to provide their petroleum products with effective additive packages containing detergents and other components. Consumers rely upon product names and quality designations to assure that the product being purchased is the quality desired. Thus, it is important to be able to identify a marker in a petroleum product.
Traditionally, the presence of a marker substance is detected and optionally quantified by extracting the fuel with an aqueous or significantly aqueous solution of an acid substance, the precise nature of which can be varied according to the characteristics of the marker substance. The acid reacts with the basic marker compound to produce a readily visible, more or less intensely colored cation that is dissolved in the aqueous acid phase. This method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,573. Additionally, a method has been disclosed in WO 03/078551 A2 where the acidic substance has been applied to a test strip. The test strip is dipped into the oil and a diazo-type marker reacts with the acidic substance in the test strip and changes color.
The quantity of marker substance in the extract may also be measured, for instance, by visible light absorption spectrophotometry, the results of which are then compared with a reference standard to determine the original concentration of basic marker in the fluid. It may be necessary to make repeated, typically two or three, extractions of the fluid to recover the entire amount of marker originally present in order for complete quantification. Additionally, the extracted, separated phase is classifiable as a hazardous waste and presents problems of safe and lawful disposal, especially when examinations are made “in the field.” Furthermore, the functional fluid which was tested may be contaminated by such processes, making its return to its original source undesirable, presenting additional waste disposal problems.
It would be desirable to have an accurate and easy analytical method to determine the identity of a functional fluid. It would further be desirable to have an accurate analytical method to determine the identity of the functional fluid in the field. The present invention rapidly indicates the identity of a functional fluid, including lubricating oils, 4 stroke engine oils, 2 stroke engine oils, automatic and manual transmission fluids, continuously variable transmission fluids, infinitely variable transmission fluids, greases, gear oils, hydraulic fluids, metalworking fluids, antifreeze fluids, coating system fluids, cooling systems fluids, farm tractor fluids, transformer fluids, fuels such as diesel, gasoline, biofuels, emulsified fuels, and the like in the field.
Many owners and/or operators of equipment that depend on these functional fluids currently depend on off-site labs to determine the specific identify of a fluid when such questions arise, such as in warranty resolutions. A tool that would allow identification of a functional fluid in the field would speed warranty resolution and similar issues. Additionally, various absorbent materials (wipes, shop towels, paper towels, and napkins) are normally used in checking functional fluids. The present invention does not require the use of absorbent materials as the functional fluid can be used on any surface type material as long as the surface does not chemically interfere with the marker and reagent.
Many markers currently used in functional fluid for the purpose of identification cannot be utilized once the functional fluid has been used in an application and/or subjected to its service conditions. The applications involved, which may subject the functional fluid to high or low temperatures, high or low pressure, physical stress, various other conditions and combination thereof, often break-down or otherwise affect marker compounds. These markers do not survive the use of the functional fluid in the applications involved, limiting their ability to allow for the identification of such functional fluids. The present invention provides markers that survive the applications of the functional fluid and allow for rapid and accurate identification of a functional fluid in the field, before, after or during its use in such applications.
A need exists for a simple and rapid method of chemically analyzing a sample of a fluid on a qualitative basis to determine origin or other useful property before, during or after the use of the fluid in its intended application. The present invention will rapidly indicate the identity of a functional fluid such as lubricating oils, engine oil, 4 stroke and 2 stroke engine oils, automatic and manual transmission fluids, continuously variable transmission fluids, infinitely variable transmission fluids, greases, gear oils, hydraulic fluids, metalworking fluids, antifreeze fluids, coating system fluids, cooling systems fluids, farm tractor fluids, transformer fluids, fuels such as diesel, gasoline, biofuels, emulsified fuels, and the like in the field.
It is an object of this invention to provide an easy and convenient delivery system to accurately analyze the identity of a functional fluid. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method to analyze functional fluids rapidly in the field. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a delivery method such as an aerosol, mist, spray, wet wipe, liquid or semi liquid for a stable reagent that can identify a marker in a functional fluid which thus identifies the functional fluid. It is still the object of the present invention to provide a method to test the identity of a functional fluid in the field rapidly by untrained personnel and without precision measurement. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a diagnostic kit for identification of functional fluids rapidly in the field.